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MILLVALE (KDKA) – Crews worked quickly to prevent what could have been a huge disaster after a tanker truck hauling diesel fuel caught on fire in Millvale Tuesday night.

According to officials, the tanker caught on fire near the intersection of Evergreen Road and Friday Street around 9 p.m.

“There was close to 9,000 gallons worth of gas that was in the tank. You didn’t’ want to get that to explode. You want to cool this down and knock it down as quick as you can. Our rescue engine was the first one in and it shot directly straight at the cab that was on fire. We all were a little bit concerned when we pulled up on it,” Millvale Fire Captain Jim Tunstall Sr. said.

While it only took firefighters about five minutes to extinguish the flames, residents in the area were evacuated as a precaution.

“My youngest – he’s 10 – he’s the one that came in and said ‘Dad, something’s one fire.’ And I didn’t believe him and the next thing you hear is a big boom,” Jon Lang said. “Then, all of a sudden my neighbor came pounding on the door and he said, ‘You [have to] get out of the house.’”

HAZMAT crews spent most of the evening cleaning up the spilled diesel fuel.

While the cause of the fire is under investigation, it is believed that a mechanical failure sparked an engine fire.